No Illusions
by oh help
Summary: Well, Hermione probably should have made it clearer that she didn't want Ron hearing about the Viktor Krum thing. Oneshot; fem!Neville and the Yule Ball for Weekly AU


I've been trying to branch out, but apparently leaving Harry's housemates alone is still a bit of a stretch.

* * *

There were many people who loved her, technically, though a lot of the time that love came out as a sort of pitying encouragement. Her roommates were the queens of this one. Lavender would make a point to compliment her new skirt or hair clip or some other aspect of her appearance whenever possible; Hermione heaped on praise whenever she was able to answer a homework question. No one had any illusions that Neve was the pretty one or the intelligent one, least of all Neve herself, but it comforted her that her friends tried so often to make her feel good enough.

Lately, however, their enthusiasm was getting to be trying.

"Don't be stupid," Parvati had said sternly when she admitted she didn't expect to be asked to the Yule Ball. "There's loads of boys who'd be lucky to go with you." She and Lavender had begun to point out prospective dates for her in the corridors whenever they saw someone suitable – which appeared to mean "not highly sought-after, but probably an alright person." They had to be alright with settling for Neve, after all.

"Padma and Lisa said Anthony Goldstein isn't going with anyone yet," Parvati might say brightly at dinner. "He's not bad, is he?"

"They also said he can barely say two words to a girl, though," Lavender would remind her.

"But really, how much would they be talking?" The debate on the merits of that day's Anthony Goldstein, usually someone who none of them could recall so much as having eye contact with before, could last the entire meal.

Neve resolved to spend more time with Hermione as Christmas grew nearer.

Time with Hermione was often spent quietly in the library, which was about the only place Harry and Ron wouldn't follow her. Neve generally struggled too much with assigned texts to care for most extracurricular reading, but she brought along the fairly enjoyable _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean _to re-read while Hermione got ahead in Transfiguration theory. The absence of Lavender and Parvati made life much more peaceful. No one passing said hello and stopped to chat, and the most distracting thing that ever happened was a student falling off a library ladder.

Then, after a few afternoons, they were approached by Viktor Krum.

Neve stared at him as he came up to the side of their table and waited there, but he had to speak to get Hermione, who was taking notes and seemed determined to ignore him until he left, to look up. "Excuse me," he said in his deep, gruff voice, yet tentatively. "I vould like to speak with…" He inclined his head at Hermione. Her mouth fell open slightly. "Alone, if I may?"

Hermione gave Neve a desperate look, but Neve just made a meek noise of deference and gathered up her things. She waited by a nearby shelf and watched the two of them talk. It was hard to tell what exactly was going on – they were out of earshot and neither was particularly expressive—but she had an uncomfortable idea. Krum eventually nodded politely and departed, leaving Hermione motionless and staring after him. After some moments, she scooped up her books very quickly and grabbed Neve by the elbow on the way out.

"I've just been asked to the ball," she said in a thin, high-pitched voice.

"Are you going with him, then?" Neve asked.

Hermione looked back toward their table. "Yes, I think so… I mean, I told him I would." She couldn't quite keep a flattered blush from her face. "He was actually very sweet about it. He said he'd been coming here all week trying to ask me, did you know?"

"Hm," said Neve, unable to formulate any thought that wasn't shamefully jealous.

* * *

"Really, Parvati, just go with Dean. We could set it up in five seconds."

"I just want to get properly _asked_."

"Well, fine, we'll make him do it. I just want somebody to talk to. You know boys, they'll all want to talk to each other about stupid boy things all night."

Lavender, like Hermione, had recently been asked to the Yule Ball, but unlike Hermione, had yet to stop talking about it. Having discussed how much Seamus was likely to want to dance and what small something she ought to get him to wear to match her robes, Parvati and Neve's datelessness became her latest problem. Parvati was stubbornly refusing to be assigned to a date just because their friends were going together, which Neve found a bit silly. Having the whole thing set up and taken care of without having to look any boys in the eye sounded ideal. Maybe Lavender would give up and then try to shift Dean Thomas onto her.

They shuffled out of the Great Hall, followed by Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were having some sort of argument. As Neve stopped to find out what was happening, Hermione stalked past her and hurried up the stairs.

"What is _wrong _with her?" snapped Ron. "If she didn't want to go with me, she could have just said so!"

"You could have gone about it better, mate," said Harry with a shrug. He looked past Ron to catch Neve's eye and weakly grinned. _"Wait, Hermione, _you're_ a girl…" _

"Oh, you didn't…" she moaned as Ron grumbled and gestured rudely at Harry. "Even if she hadn't already been asked, I don't think—"

Both boys' heads snapped up. "Hold on," said Ron, "You don't mean she's actually got a date? I thought she was just saying that. Wasn't she?"

Regret sloshed around in her stomach. She had assumed Hermione had said something; they _were_ best friends, after all, but seeing how Ron was acting now helped her understand the wisdom in keeping quiet.

"Erm, never mind," she mumbled.

Ron looked hurriedly around the corridor, perhaps hoping to see Hermione pop out on someone's arm. "Who on _Earth _would have possibly…?" He then turned back to Neve, expectant. "Well, who is it then?"

"If she hasn't told you, I don't think it's really my place—"

"Oh, come off it," he said. "They're going to go out in public, it's not as if she's expecting to keep it secret forever. Honestly-" He was coming off gradually more aggressive as he went on. "Harry and I won't make fun, neither of us are going with anyone, are we?"

She bit her lip and gave in. "Oh, alright…Viktor Krum asked her yesterday."

Harry's eyes widened comically. Ron gave a harsh laugh, and when no one joined him, he nudged Harry with his elbow. "She's joking, obviously. Yeah, Neve?"

Neve turned her head away. Even running after angry Hermione would have probably turned out better than this. "He's been seeing her in the library…"

"You're not serious?"

Her face must have gotten somehow more apologetic because Ron took the news as confirmed before she so much as said a word.

"_Krum_, though!" He couldn't seem to decide whether he wanted to look incredulous or furious. "He's a professional Quidditch player, isn't he, not to _mention_ a Triwizard champion… Could've gotten anyone he… _Hermione_?"

Harry was watching Ron with his mouth open, apparently at a complete loss.

"Look, please don't tell her I said anything," Neve begged. "I really didn't mean… Please!"

"If—You have to go with me!" Ron barked at her. "I'm not going to this stupid ball without a stupid—" Here, he caught himself, and looked quite abashed as he finished more quietly. "Well, you know, without a girl."

She looked back at him for several seconds. He showed no sign of taking back the offer, just grew steadily redder and redder. "Erm," she said, "alright then."

"Well." He nodded sharply. "That's sorted." There was a pause in which he looked unsure if he was supposed to shake her hand like in a business deal.

"Great," grumbled Harry. "It's everyone except me, then, the one person who'll look _really _stupid if I show up alone—"

Neve blinked, remembering her other friends. "You could try Parvati?"

"Parvati?"

"You should definitely ask her," she said with more conviction. "She's been waiting for somebody to, and she'd be thrilled if it were Harry Potter."

Harry looked pensive for a second. "I think… I might go do that?" He turned to Ron for his opinion and got only a shrug. "Alright. I'll do it. Thanks." Now determined, he hurried toward Gryffindor tower.

A slightly sour expression passed over Ron's face before they followed him, but he at least had the sense not to ask aloud if he could switch.

* * *

They left Hermione in a pale blue slip, still fussing with her hair in the bathroom. All three of them had assured her that in her elegant new dress robes she needn't put in much more effort to look lovely, but she was determined to perfect everything from head to toe. No one argued with her very hard. She seemed to be taking the ball with the same seriousness she did her homework, which was, according to Lavender as they descended the dormitory steps, quite frankly a welcome improvement.

Parvati was nervously humming the song they'd practiced waltzing to. She'd been whirling around the room all afternoon, highly conscious that she and Harry would be expected to dance with the other champions in front of everyone. Briefly she'd made Neve pose as her partner.

"I'm not very good," Neve mumbled. "I always forget the steps."

"That's alright." Parvati continued to forcefully lead them around the bedroom. "I'm sure Harry isn't much better."

Despite little faith in his dancing skill, she and Lavender had very high expectations of what it would be like to attend a dance of such proportion as the Yule Ball with a person of such importance as Harry Potter. "I mean, this _is _all about the champions, really. You'll definitely be getting special treatment." Lavender was still coming up with potential perks of being his partner as they came out into the common room. She gasped. "Do you think you'll get in the paper?"

Parvati stopped and turned abruptly at this, her pink mouth slightly open. "Could I _really_?" She and Lavender stared at each other with wide, excited eyes. Neve was deeply grateful again that it hadn't been her who ended up with Harry. She had the tendency to muck up everything possible even when she wasn't in the spotlight. If the job had to go to anyone, confident and charismatic Parvati was a good choice.

Lavender eventually remembered that she had a date, and pulled them over to where Seamus and Dean were leaning in against the back of an armchair, wearing crisp, dark dress robes that still showed the creases where they'd doubtlessly still been folded until about half an hour ago. "Harry and Ron are still upstairs," Seamus told them. "Ron's trying to… well…" A smirk flickered across his face, and in the corner of her eye she saw Dean cover his mouth with his hand. The other girls looked at her, obviously fearing the worst.

It was not the worst, but it was bad. Ron came down the stairs in a red-faced sulk, wearing matted maroon robes embellished with tufts of frayed lace, and refused to meet her eyes. Thankfully, Harry arrived before there was time for any conversation, and Parvati eagerly latched onto his arm and led them all downstairs. Ron lagged, picking up a spot at the back of the group behind Dean, who was the only one big enough to hide him.

"What about Hermione?" Harry asked, twisting his head back.

"Don't worry, I'm sure _Viktor_ won't mind waiting," said Ron acidly. All of the boys groaned.

"If he's on about this all night, just know we understand," whispered Dean in her ear.

* * *

He wouldn't have been that bad a date, Neve decided, if it weren't for the moodiness. She had enough time observing him to come to this conclusion: he showed no inclination to do anything but sullenly sit. Sitting she'd be alright with. She was no dancer either, and there was live music and lots to watch. But Ron seemed far too preoccupied to enjoy anything at all.

She sipped her bubbling punch and watched Hermione's robes swirl around her. He'd been doing the same for ages, no matter how convincingly he whipped his head around to stare at an ice sculpture whenever someone looked his direction.

Intellectually, she knew what his problem was, but it was too foreign a thing for her to relate to. She'd never wanted so strongly for someone to spend their time with her. Maybe it was something that happened in the growing-up she hadn't finished yet. It was definitely something her Gran would complain about. Youth and their attitudes were a particular annoyance of hers.

They were quite different, though, her and Ron. It must take some…something to get so angry about a thing like that. She thought about that for a while. Maybe she was just too passive to be bothered by much anymore. He was the type who got angry about things, and most of the time she just sort of let them happen.

She almost hoped that getting angry came along with growing up. It had been a long time since she felt so fiercely about something, even something as dumb as what Ron was.


End file.
